Forget the World
by Megzalove
Summary: When Kurt quits Glee club for the Cheerios he finds himself all alone. When Blaine Anderberry starts getting bullied, he thinks there is no one out there who understands. What if Kurt does? Anderberry Nerd!Blaine and Cheerio!Kurt
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Ever since Kurt and Rachel had that falling out, and Kurt had quit the glee club to focus solely on the Cheerios, things had been looking up. The bullying and torment that he had been undergoing on a daily basis had subsided; it was becoming a rare occasion for someone to shout a derogatory slur at him, and he no longer felt the ache of cold metal on his back. Even his scars were beginning to fade. No one at McKinley was willing to mess with a Cheerio, not willing to hurt their own reputation by picking on someone who was so obviously closer to the top of the food chain than they were. So, maybe Kurt was no longer being thrown into dumpsters or getting slushy facials, but he was lonely. They might not have been picking on him, but that didn't mean that the general population of McKinley High had to acknowledge his presence, except when he led the Cheerios to victory. Even then, his presence was merely tolerated. His teammates barely acted as though he were alive. Sue didn't have a say in their social lives, and they made it known to Kurt that he was unwelcome with a sneer and a cold shoulder. He did have Brittany and Santana though. Having been in glee club together, they had a soft spot for Kurt and often invited him to join them outside of school. He quickly learned, however, that this basically meant either watching them make out, or hanging out with Lord Tubbington so that they could "get their lady kisses on." So, aside from during lunch when the three of them would sit together and talk about why they were so much better than the rest of the school, Kurt was alone.

Once upon a time, Kurt and Rachel had been best friends. They had lived two houses down from each other since they were six and Rachel's family had moved to Lima. That first day, when Kurt and his mom had brought cookies to the new neighbors, Rachel had answered the door, loud as ever. When she had heard that his name was Kurt, and, that it was true, he was named for the equally cherubic character in The Sound of Music, she had immediately burst into a surprisingly coherent rendition of My Favorite Things, to which Kurt promptly joined. Since that day, they had been inseparable. With tea parties and Broadway musicals they had paved their way through a fairytale childhood, with Rachel's younger brother Blaine often tagging along.

Then, high school came around, and, like they often do, things began to change. Kurt realized rather quickly that the next four years were going to be nothing like he and Rachel had been imagining since they were ten years old and sneaking his mom's old Cosmopolitan magazines during sleepovers. The first day of high school Kurt had been thrown into an, albeit empty, dumpster, he had then spent the entire day trying to rid the smell of rotten garbage from his hair. It wasn't the last time either. Still, he and Rachel joined the glee club, together of course, and vowed to make it through the next four years, focusing solely on the amazing careers they had ahead of them in New York. They didn't need to be popular, they just needed to survive.

Their sophomore year, Kurt had come out publicly. Rachel had known since they were thirteen, she was extremely supportive; after all she did have two dads. He had finally told his dad what he had been hiding from him since he was twelve, he was gay. His father told him it didn't matter, he was still his son and he loved him. After that he didn't care if the school knew, what he hadn't been anticipating, was the torment the football team decided to put him through. The dumpster tosses became more frequent, as did the slushy facials, and he soon found himself hiding bruises and cuts from being shoved into lockers. Still, he held his head high and came back at them with his sharp, biting wit.

Then, Rachel had started dating Finn and her life became all Finn all the time, well and Broadway, but she definitely had less and less time for Kurt. Their friendship remained intact, however, and Kurt was there for Rachel when she needed a shoulder to cry on. Rachel, though, did not return the favor. By the beginning of their Junior year, Kurt's torments had escalated, he no longer felt safe in the halls of McKinley. Rachel hadn't seemed to care, or even notice, that her best friend was barely making it from day to day. Sue Sylvester, who had witnessed some of the milder torments and had always had a soft spot for Kurt, had offered Kurt a spot on the Cheerios. She needed more pizzazz, and Kurt's voice was just what she was looking for. So, Kurt joined the Cheerios and he and Rachel's friendship became even more strained. Until one day, it broke.

While Kurt and Rachel were generally supportive of each other, they had always been each other's biggest competition. So, when Kurt had unfairly lost yet another solo to her in glee club, it was the final straw. He had stormed away angrily and Rachel had quickly followed. When she apologized that he didn't get the solo, although she could not say she was sorry that she had gotten it as she felt she deserved it, Kurt began to yell. It had been too much. The one person in the world who was meant to be there for him, wasn't. Rachel hadn't been there for him in a long time and he told her as much. Suffice it to say Rachel had been less than understanding, as she could sometimes be, and their friendship had ended that day. Later, Kurt went to Mr. Shue and told him that he could no longer be a part of the glee club.

At the time, it had been painful; Kurt loved to sing and fully intended to be on Broadway someday. Once he was dedicated to Cheerios, however, and the school had finally decided to leave him alone, things became easier. Rachel tried to repair their friendship and get him to rejoin glee club, but he couldn't forgive her, and rejoining glee would be a death sentence. He would rather be totally alone than scared for his life. So, Kurt may not have been happy, but he was content. The same could not be said for Blaine Anderberry.


	2. Chapter 2

_This is a story about bullying that includes verbal abuse. I just wanted to let you know that this chapter contains some offensive language. Also, I don't hate Rachel! She doesn't turn out to be an antagonist or anything I promise!_

_Also, because I fail!_

_Disclaimer: Glee and the lovely characters I am using do not belong to me. _

Chapter Two

Blaine Anderberry was ten months younger than his sister, the talented Rachel Anderberry, and she had never let him forget it. It wasn't that Blaine wasn't as talented as Rachel; in fact, he was definitely just as good at singing as she was. Blaine was also just as ambitious as Rachel, he had just chosen to focus his ambitions elsewhere, academics to be exact. Blaine Anderberry had perfect attendance, he had been on the honor roll since he started at McKinley, and he was well on his way to being class valedictorian. He was also gay.

Blaine had never had conflicting feelings about his sexuality; he had been raised by his two dads in a loving and open environment. He did, however, realize that it was a death sentence for a person like him at McKinley High. Unlike some of his fellow classmates, Blaine had never really been bullied, sure there were the shouts of "nerd" and "poindexter" in the hallway every now and then, but it had never really caught on. He was more than content to fly under the radar, besides, he spent the majority of his time studying, as it were. So, Blaine was biding his time, until he was out of this high school and on to his real life. He hadn't wanted to give the jocks a reason to torment him, so he'd compromised with himself. He wasn't going to tell people that he was gay, but, if they asked, he wasn't exactly planning on denying it. This had worked out fairly well for him since his freshman year. He had become fairly good friends with Mike Chang and Artie Abrams, who were also in the mathletes, he was doing well in his classes, and he was counting down the days until graduation, without any setbacks.

This all changed at the beginning of Blaine's sophomore year. For some reason, the taunting of his freshman year had escalated, and while he had yet to be locked in a random locker or be thrown into a dumpster, the random shoves in the hall accompanied by a snarled "dork" were enough to scare him. Blaine was a small guy, short and lean, and the football team was, well, huge, for lack of a better word. Blaine knew he didn't stand a chance against them. He had tried to approach his teachers when the taunting had first become a problem, but most of them waved it off, muttering something about how "kids will be kids," and Blaine would leave angry that no one cared. He could go to his dads, but he hadn't wanted to give them any cause to worry and Rachel was too caught up in being Rachel Anderberry and dating Finn Hudson to care what happened to little baby Blaine. So, Blaine had been on his own, he would simply gather his things when they fell from his arms after a particularly hard shove and shake off the comments as best he could, not willing to give them the satisfaction of his anger or pain.

Most recently, Blaine had experienced his first slushy facial. He, Mike, and Artie were on their way to history, which they all had together, when they were stopped in an empty hallway by Karofsky and his group of equally large Neanderthals. The bullies blocked their escape and, after making a rude comment about the glee club, promptly covered them in the flavored ice beverage. Blaine had never been so cold. He wasn't even sure if the slushy had been meant for him, or if he had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Then he heard one of them, probably Azimio, shout "And we don't need any faggy nerds hanging out in the hallways either!" at him. Blaine had stared after them with wide eyes as Mike and Artie had ushered him to the bathroom.

Blaine was in shock. He wasn't sure if the bullies thought that he was actually gay or if it was just something mean to say. Either way, Blaine had just had his first personal experience with homophobia. Sure, he had witnessed it before, while out with his dads or watching TV, but it had never happened to him personally, and it was more painful than he could've imagined. "Dude! Snap out of it!" Artie said, waving his arm in front of Blaine's face and bringing him out of his thoughts and into the present.

"Sorry, I was just… I didn't think they knew." Blaine replied before realizing that he had never actually specified his sexual orientation to Artie and Mike. It wasn't that he thought it would matter, just that he had figured the less people who knew at school, the less of a problem it would be.

"Knew what? That you're a total nerd? Because I'm pretty sure they knew." Artie said with a laugh, elbowing Blaine in his side. Blaine gave him a small smile.

"No, that I'm, y'know, gay." Blaine looked away, unable to face the expressions on his closest friend's faces. Mike and Artie looked at him, something like confusion written on their faces. Finally, Mike spoke up, " I'm sure they were just using the word in general. They wouldn't know unless you had told them."

Blaine looked at his friend's with relief. "Oh, yeah. You're probably right, I've just, no one's ever said that to me before and it hit me pretty hard." Blaine, finally able to breathe again, heaved a sigh of relief and leaned into the sink.

"You're like, totally covered in slushy, you should probably clean yourself off before it dries. That shit's nasty." Artie said with a frown, changing the subject and lightening the mood. Blaine laughed as he looked in the mirror and saw the purple that was beginning to stain his face; he quickly turned on the faucet and proceeded to get rid of the evidence of his first slushy facial. Once he was clean he smiled to himself in the mirror, glad that there had been no one around to witness his humiliation in the hallway.

Little did he know that there had been one person in the hallway at the time. Someone he hadn't noticed as they had watched from the safety of their Cheerio's uniform. Kurt Hummel had seen the entire thing, he had watched with curious eyes as Blaine's reacted to the offensive slur directed at him. He had watched as Artie and Mike had led a nearly comatose Blaine to the bathroom, and he had listened at the door when Blaine had told his friends that he was gay. Kurt had drawn in his breath at Blaine's words, something like sympathy swelled in his chest, and a thought quickly passed through his mind. He, Kurt Hummel, resident gay at McKinley High, _was not alone._

_Reviews are always appreciated lovelies! _


	3. Chapter 3

_So, this has kind of gotten away from me and is actually turning to be a lot more violent than I originally intended. It probably will not get more violent than what occurs in this chapter, but I cannot promise that. I can promise that it will not contain any gore or character death. Also, I do not hate Karofsky, and I actually feel kind of terrible for how I'm using his character, just know that it will get better. Okay, enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: Not mine, so sad _

Chapter Three

"Out of the way homo!" Karofsky yelled as he barreled down the hall, shoving Blaine into the locker as he went. Blaine cringed at the words. It had been a week since the slushy incident and the taunts and jeers were growing progressively worse. Lately, all of them included some offensive form of the word gay. Blaine wasn't sure what was egging them on, maybe it was his reaction to the slushy incident, and he knew he shouldn't have allowed them to see him so vulnerable.

"Hey! Blaine, wait up!" A vaguely familiar voice called down the hall and Blaine turned to see the owner of said voice. Kurt, who hadn't spoken to Blaine since the Rachel incident, was hurrying to catch up with him. Blaine slowed down, a look of confusion on his face, as Kurt started talking to him. "So, I was wondering if you could help me with something. I have this test next week in Chem and I cannot seem to grasp the concepts. I know I should get a formal tutor, but you're really good at science and I'd be more comfortable if it was someone I knew." Kurt explained and Blaine found himself wondering what had been hard enough to make Kurt Hummel, who was actually very good at science himself, which Blaine knew for a fact, come to Blaine for help. Not to say that he wasn't pleased, Blaine genuinely enjoyed Kurt's company. He had even harbored a crush on him back in his preteens when Kurt spent nearly everyday at his house. Blaine had been young and Kurt was his _older _sister's best friend, it was so cliché he couldn't have made it up. Lately though, he hadn't really thought one way or another about Kurt, ever since he and Rachel had stopped talking and Kurt had stopped spending time at the Anderberry house.

"…I mean it's this Friday, so if we could start working on those concepts as soon as possible it'd be really helpful. So, what do you think?" Blaine was startled out of his reverie.

"Yes, I can do that. I have free period next if you can work on it then, otherwise we can meet in the library after school." Blaine replied.

"Oh, well, I have French next, but I'm sure I can get out of it if I tell Mademoiselle I am going to study hall." Kurt said before heading towards his French class. He turned back to Blaine before leaving, "I'll go get excused and meet you in the library in ten!" Blaine nodded and turned to pull his books out of his locker before making his way to the library.

Kurt Hummel had no idea what he was thinking. Ever since he had heard "I'm gay," come out of Blaine Anderberry's lips he could focus on nothing else. He knew he should reach out to the boy, but he had never even met another gay kid his age, he lived in Lima, Ohio for crying out loud. Mostly he just wanted to throw a party for the two of them, so excited was he to not be the only one anymore. He figured that might not be the most appropriate way to go about telling Blaine that he knew. So, he came up with a plan.

It was pretty simple really. He just had to pretend like he didn't understand his Chem lab from last week (which he did) and ask Blaine to go over the concepts with him. This, it turns out, was easier said than done. Kurt spent an entire week trying to go through with his plan, but every time that he thought he had built up the courage something would come up. Karofsky would turn the corner and, let's be honest, Kurt did not have a death wish. Even though Karofsky was leaving him alone now that he was in the Cheerio's uniform, he knew that very publicly fraternizing with Karofsky's newest victim would mean Kurt signing his own death certificate and he just wasn't ready for that. Kurt had watched Blaine at his locker everyday, waiting for Karofsky to leave. However, oftentimes Blaine would hurry to class too quickly for Kurt to catch up to him; so, when Blaine remained at his locker after Karofsky had shoved him, Kurt took his chance, calling Blaine's name before he could hurry down the hall.

Blaine, to Kurt's relief, seemed more than happy, although admittedly a little confused, to help Kurt. So, Kurt smiled as he made his way back to the library to meet Blaine, until he arrived and found what was waiting for him. Blaine was sitting at a table in the back, obviously trying to ignore Azimio as he taunted him endlessly, "did you hear that girly boy? We don't want you here! So, take your gay little bowties and scram!" As Kurt watched from behind the bookshelf, the taunts became more and more aggravated, until Azimio was actually pulling Blaine's papers from him and throwing them on the floor. When Blaine still ignored him, Azimio, fed up that he couldn't get a rise out of him, reached across the table and grabbed Blaine, who was promptly beginning to turn a very unhealthy shade of red, by the collar. He snarled in his face as he went off about why Blaine wasn't going to amount to anything because of his sexuality.

Kurt knew that the librarian hadn't noticed, Mrs. Little was close to eighty and generally had her hearing aids turned off while at work, although she would never admit it. Kurt ached to help Blaine; he knew the pain that Karofsky and Azimio so often inflicted first hand. He was also terrified. Kurt had chosen to live in complete solidarity rather than put up with their brutality any longer, he couldn't go back to the constant fear that he had barely managed to survive.

Suddenly, Blaine, who Azimio had yet to let go of, noticed Kurt watching from the sidelines. His eyes pleaded with Kurt for help, and, for a moment, Kurt stepped out from his hiding place about to say something to make Azimio put Blaine down. He never got his chance though, because Azimio let go of Blaine at that moment. He shoved him hard into his chair, which promptly fell backwards, leaving Blaine choking in a pile of books and papers on the floor. Blaine looked up at Kurt once again, not yet able to talk, the pain evident in his face. Kurt took one wide eyed look at Blaine and then turned around and ran out of the library.

_Reviews would be awesome! I appreciate all the story alerts, but I would like to know what you guys think! Thanks ~ Megza_


	4. Chapter 4

_Ok, so non-con in this chapter, but it's canon. Also, longest chapter yet! This is kind of a big deal for me, and I just wanted to say thank you for reading and all of the story alerts! Hope you enjoy…_

Chapter Four

It had been days since Blaine had even looked at him. Not that Kurt could blame him, he felt absolutely dreadful for running away, but his fight or flight instinct had kicked in and apparently he was a flight kind of person now. Before the bullying had gotten worse, before he had quit glee club and left his friends behind, he had been a fight kind of person. He hadn't been afraid to yell a sarcastic comment back when the bullies had said something particularly mean. In fact, for awhile, back when it had just been taunts and jeers, he had relished in it. He knew he was going to leave this town and make something of himself while the top offenders were going to live in Lima, Ohio, living off of high school, which they will look back on as the best days of their lives. Not Kurt though, he was going to go to New York, to NYADA. Kurt was going to be a star on Broadway. Still, once the harassment had turned from nasty words to even nastier shoves, after it had started to mean him being locked in some empty locker for the majority of his school days and no one bothered to come looking for him, he lost his ability to fight; thus becoming the kind of person who ran away when he witnessed a physical assault such as he had earlier in the week. This was something that made him sick to his stomach.

He had tried approaching Blaine, who would generally send a glare his way. When he didn't glare, he would just look at Kurt with the biggest, saddest eyes, and those were the worst. Kurt would lose his nerve and walk past, tail between his legs. He wanted to be there for Blaine in any way he could, he was just absolutely terrified to deal with the jocks that had previously injured both his body and his spirit. However, Kurt was going to find a way to help Blaine if it was the last thing that he did.

Blaine was upset, no Blaine was furious. He couldn't fathom how Kurt could've just stood there and watched while his aggressor literally choked him. He knew that Kurt probably didn't consider him a friend, although they had practically spent their childhoods together, even if Blaine was only an add-on to Kurt and Rachel's games. Still, anyone who could just stand there and watch while someone physically harmed someone else had to be a despicable human being. Blaine Anderberry was nothing if not a kind person though, he could always find the best of people, and that was why part of him wanted to forgive Kurt. He knew that Kurt had endured his own singling out by the bullies during his freshman and sophomore years, Rachel had casually mentioned it a time or two. So, Blaine wondered if maybe Kurt wasn't a terrible person, maybe he was just too scared to get involved again. Still though, Blaine wished that he had. That was why, when he found Kurt on his doorstep four days after the library incident, he let him in.

Blaine barely acknowledged Kurt's presence in his bedroom, although it was rather odd to see Kurt in _his _bedroom, rather than Rachel's. He hadn't spoken more than two words to Kurt since he had let him into the house, and Kurt was kind of just standing in the middle of the room, shifting awkwardly. He obviously didn't know what he was doing there anymore than Blaine did. Finally Blaine let out a sigh. "Kurt, what are you doing here?"

"I'm…" Kurt started, but he seemed to be at a loss for words. "I wanted to say I was sorry for not doing anything when Azimio was hurting you. I know I should've it's just… I was scared."

"**You** were scared?" Blaine started, and wow when did his voice get so loud? "I was _terrified _Kurt. I didn't think he would kill me in the middle of the library, but I also wouldn't have put it past him. He was choking me Kurt, and you just stood there." Blaine was yelling now, all of his pent up anger from the constant harassment and Kurt's apparent disregard for his life coming out at once.

Kurt had tears in his eyes. "Yes Blaine I'm sorry. This isn't about me, but I can explain why I didn't say anything. I can explain why I just ran."

"Then feel free to fill me in Kurt. Tell me what makes you think it's ok to not even tell anyone when something like that is happening to another person." Blaine was at the end of his rope, he honestly felt that any reasons that Kurt came up with would just be excuses about not harming his own reputation in order to help a nobody like Blaine.

Kurt let out a shaky breath, urging himself to calm down. He had never told anyone the details of what had happened to him at the beginning of this year; the one incident that had led him to isolate himself from the rest of the population at McKinley High, the incident that had finally broken him. "Blaine I'm going to tell you a story but I need you to calm down before I do so."

Blaine glared at him, but his curiosity got the better of him, and, heaving a sigh, he gave a barely perceptible nod.

When his junior year had begun, Kurt had actually let himself believe that this year would be better. He and Rachel had an amazing summer break. They had even visited New York for the first time, which had solidified their plans of moving there after graduation. However, when he had to endure three slushy facials, two dumpster tosses, and an unfathomable number of harsh shoves into lockers and hurtful remarks in his first week back at school, his optimism had quickly faded. The bullying had only gotten worse from there. He had soon found himself hiding rather large bruises from his father and friends, unwilling to burden anyone else with his problems, especially when he had tried reaching out for help before and nothing had come of it. Kurt honestly wasn't sure if he was going to survive that year.

Kurt had soon resided himself to rushing to all of his classes, and not hanging out in empty hallways. However, on a particularly bad day, when Karofsky had shoved him too hard into the nearest locker on his way to class, Kurt had followed him. Kurt had yelled at him, demanding an explanation. He had chased him all the way to the nearest locker room, which just so happened to be empty. Kurt had begun ranting, he couldn't even tell you exactly what he had said, it had simply been the product of all of the pain he had been holding inside for the past two years. Finally, he had stopped, breathing hard. When he had looked up at Karofsky, he hadn't been able to tell what the look in his eyes was, Kurt had assumed it was fury. Kurt had braced himself for a punch, what he had gotten instead was a kiss. He had been in shock. He had also been disgusted. Karosky, whose life goal, it had seemed, was to torture him, was kissing him. So, when Karofsky went in for a second kiss, Kurt had pushed him away. Then Karofsky had fled and Kurt had slid to the ground with tears stinging his eyes. No one had bothered to come find him.

Kurt hadn't gone to anyone for help. Mainly because there had been no witnesses and he was not naïve enough to think that they would believe him over Karofsky. Then, Karofsky had confronted him later with a death threat if he told anyone, and Kurt was done. He couldn't deal with it any longer. His fight with Rachel and departure from Glee happened shortly after and he had soon found himself all alone. All alone, but at least his status as a Cheerio kept the worst of his tormentors away. Even Karofsky, who, it was true, kept a pretty close eye on Kurt, had left him alone for the most part after the confrontation in the locker room. So, he thought the worst of his fear was over, until he'd seen Azimio and Blaine in the library the other day and it had all come rushing back.

"I know it's not an excuse Blaine, and I haven't been able to forgive myself since I saw what happened in the library and didn't do anything about it. I just hope you believe me when I say that I really did want to help, I just… froze up." Kurt said finally finding strength in his voice after regaling Blaine with his tale.

For awhile Blaine just looked at him, he was filled with conflicting emotions. While a small part of him still wanted to hate Kurt, another part of him understood. He was so sad that Kurt had to endure all of that by himself, with no one willing to help. Kurt, after realizing that Blaine wasn't going to say anything, gathered up his courage and said, "Anyways, the reason that I am here is not only to apologize, but to tell you that you're not alone. I know what it's like, and I'm here for you if you need to talk about it or anything. I'm sorry I didn't stand up for you when I had the chance, but I hope that in the future I won't be so tongue tied."

Blaine just continued to stare. He wasn't sure if he was ready to accept Kurt's apology, but having somebody who understood to talk to would be such a relief. He looked up at Kurt from his spot at his desk, "Kurt, I'm not ready to forgive you, but if you still need help in Chem I would be more than happy to do whatever I can."

Kurt let out a small laugh, honestly glad that Blaine was giving him even this small line to cling to, "Yes Blaine, I'd really appreciate that."


	5. Chapter 5

_Well, here's chapter five. Hope you enjoy._

_Disclaimer: The characters belong to RIB, not me. _

Chapter Five

"Ok, so these two cross cancel then?" Kurt asked while pointing at the problem. Blaine released an almost unnoticeable huff of frustration. "No, these two."

It had been two days since Kurt had unexpectedly shown up on Blaine's doorstep, and Blaine was trying very hard to be patient as Kurt got nearly every answer wrong. In all actuality, Kurt was trying very hard not to laugh as Blaine struggled to show him the correct way to do the problems. Kurt, of course, already knew how to do them, considering he'd done the assignment yesterday, still he needed an excuse to hang out with Blaine, and this was turning into a rather amusing one. Blaine had been suspicious at first, he knew that Kurt generally did fairly well in all subjects, although not as well as Blaine, but after Kurt had to ask the formula for density three times Blaine's suspicions were proven wrong, or so he thought. After a particularly difficult problem, Kurt yawned. "I could really go for something to drink right now." He said as he stood up and turned his focus to Blaine, who was still engrossed in the problem.

"Oh. The kitchen is down the stairs and to your left."

"Blaine. I spent practically my entire childhood in this house. I think I can find my way to the kitchen." He laughed. "Unless your dads tried to remodel again..."

"Oh god, not after the plumbing disaster of '03, I'm still having nightmares!" Blaine joked in response and Kurt couldn't help but smile as he closed the door behind himself, their playful banter felt like a step in the right direction. He knew that it was going to take time for Blaine to trust him again, if he ever had in the first place.

Although Kurt had always considered Blaine a friend when they were growing up, Rachel had been his best friend, and therefore demanded his attention when he was at their house. Still, Kurt was always grateful when Blaine would tag along, at least then he wouldn't be the only audience member when Rachel decided to have one of her many "solo" moments on the stage that their dads had built her in the basement when she was ten. They would both try to hide their smiles as she belted out whatever song best described her mood at the time. They would whisper to each other, not really paying attention, while simultaneously nodding at the stage encouragingly. The best memories he had of Blaine though, were the times that Rachel would throw one of her signature Rachel Anderberry fits and storm out, leaving the two of them alone. They would generally just watch a movie, acting out their favorite scenes, or talk about books or fashion, things that Rachel wasn't even vaguely interested in. Kurt loved Rachel, he really did, but sometimes he wanted to talk about things that weren't musical theatre or Barbra Streisand. Blaine was smart and funny, he had excellent taste and Kurt really appreciated that, well, more than appreciated it actually, if we're being honest.

When Kurt was in thirteen he'd developed a minor crush on Blaine. Well, at least it had started that way. The summer before eighth grade had started Rachel had spent the month of July at an acting camp, leaving Kurt with only Blaine to hang out with. Not that he had minded, they had just never spent an extended period of time in each other's company without the presence of Rachel. At first, it had been a little awkward, when Kurt had gone to Rachel's house to see her off and she had told him not to go getting a new best friend while she was gone, "It's only a month Rachel," and to her brother, "be nice to Kurt, Blaine. He doesn't have anyone else to hang out with." Then she'd turned on her heel and been gone. They'd looked at one another shyly, and then Blaine had made a joke apologizing about being sub par in relation to Rachel's star talents as a friend, Kurt had laughed in response and they had soon found themselves falling into an easy friendship. They'd spent nearly every day together that month. Their friendship was comfortable. Blaine was an easy person to get along with, and Kurt nearly forgot that he was Rachel's little brother as he soon found himself falling for him.

Kurt wasn't even sure at that point if he liked boys, although he was fairly certain he didn't like girls, not yet anyways. He had just always assumed he was a late bloomer and it had never really bothered him. Yeah he liked clothes and Broadway musicals, but that didn't automatically mean that he was attracted to men. Kurt just didn't really find himself attracted to anyone, until he realized that the feeling that he got around Blaine, like thousands of birds were flapping their wings in his chest and it made him want to throw up and jump for joy all at once, was in fact feelings for Blaine. Blaine who was sweet and thoughtful and would always go out of his way to make sure Kurt was happy. Yes, Kurt fell, and he fell hard.

July had found them going for picnics in the park and swimming at the city pool. They had spent lazy days watching movies or arguing over whether or not argyle was going to be in this fall. Their friendship was so simple, but still, the more time they had spent together the harder it was becoming for Kurt to hide his crush. When Blaine had rested his head on Kurt's shoulder while they had watched Moulin Rouge, or when he'd grabbed his hand as they had simultaneously jumped in the pool, Kurt would feel something akin to an electric shock and pull back immediately. He would then make whatever lame excuse that popped into his head at the time. When they had spent the night at each other's houses, Kurt would offer to sleep on the floor and Blaine would say "don't be silly there's plenty of room," and yank him onto the bed next to him. Kurt had blushed and tried to slow his breathing to no avail. He would spend the entire night trying to stay on his side of the bed, which wasn't easy because Blaine was a cuddling fiend. Even with the tension that Blaine obviously didn't feel, Kurt had found himself dreading Rachel's return, yes he missed his best friend, but he didn't want to lose this friendship that he and Blaine had developed.

On the last Friday before Rachel's return, she was scheduled to arrive home the following day; Kurt and Blaine had decided to spend the night together, knowing that the expiration date on their friendship was coming quickly. They had watched Titanic and ordered pizza, locking themselves up in the den at the Anderberry home. After the movie was over, they talked about timeless romances, Rose and Jack, Romeo and Juliet, Kurt and Blaine, Kurt had thought wistfully. Blaine had been saying something about the movie when Kurt found himself staring at Blaine's lips, full and red, and wondering what they would taste like, or feel like against his. Which was why he had been surprised when Blaine had asked if he'd ever been kissed. Kurt had just shaken his head and looked away, knowing full well that the only person he had ever wanted to kiss was sitting right in front of him. Blaine looked a little shocked, but just replied with a "huh, me neither." And then he'd changed the subject.

Later that night, when they'd finally settled into Blaine's bed, Kurt had turned to him and asked, "What do you think it's like? Kissing, I mean."

"I don't know." Blaine had replied. "It looks pretty magical though, I mean, in movies the first kiss is always described as fireworks. So, fireworks, I'd guess."

"Yeah, me too." Kurt had said, thankful that it was too dark for Blaine to make out the blush that had suddenly stained his cheeks. Blaine hadn't replied after that, and, as they laid there in silence, Kurt's eyelids had soon grown heavy and his mind had started to fog with the beginnings of sleep when Blaine had said, "Hey, Kurt are you awake?"

"mmmmhmmm…" Kurt hummed in response.

"Will you promise me something?" Blaine had asked, staring at Kurt through the darkness. "Promise me we'll still be friends when Rachel comes back."

Kurt bit his lip at this as he thought about what making that promise would mean. He and Blaine were in different grades, and Rachel was, well, Rachel. She'd only approved of their friendship because she didn't want Kurt to be lonely while she was away. He was sure she would be expecting things to be just as they were when she'd left, but they weren't, so much had changed in just a month. Kurt liked, more like loved, Blaine, and he wasn't ready to say goodbye to him either. "Of course Blaine, I promise." Kurt had replied, and Blaine had smiled brightly as they drifted off to sleep.

Kurt had tried to keep his promise; he and Blaine had hung out a few times in August. Kurt had told Rachel that Blaine was his friend too, but she always insisted on being included. They no longer got to hang out just one on one, and it had started to put a little weight on the friendship. Then, school had started, and Kurt was a grade ahead of Blaine, meaning they didn't even share lunch. A little more weight was added. Kurt and Rachel had joined the eighth grade theatre club that met after school, Kurt had also started helping out at the garage on weekends, and Blaine had fencing Tuesdays and Thursdays. It wasn't as though they didn't miss each other; Kurt's heart broke every time he thought about what their friendship had been and how he felt about Blaine. For awhile they tried to go out of their way to hang out, but something always came up and soon all the strain their friendship was under caused it to shatter. The first time that they had seen each other since their friendship had ended, Blaine had acted indifferent towards Kurt, like they had never been friends at all. Kurt had taken his lead, refusing to beg him to be his friend again. Still, Kurt had never felt worse.

As the school year wore on, the memories of that summer moved to the back of Kurt's mind. The feelings that he had for Blaine faded and he even found himself wondering if they had ever really been there at all; he couldn't deny that he'd been attracted to Blaine, but he was young, too young for love, and besides, Blaine hadn't reciprocated his feelings. So, Kurt had written it off as his first real crush, and soon he had (mostly) gotten over Blaine.

Kurt made his way to the kitchen, reliving the memories from that summer that had suddenly started bubbling to the surface. He was deep in thought when he was suddenly startled by a voice behind him.

"Kurt?" Rachel said, confusion evident in her voice, "What are you doing here?"

_Reviews make me smile._


	6. Chapter 6

_Well, here's chapter six. I'm not really sure how long this fic is going to be so you'll have to bear with me. Blaine distracted me in this chapter, so you'll have to wait until the next chapter to find out what happened in the kitchen. Sorry! As always, enjoy!_

Chapter Six

Blaine stared through the dark at Kurt's lips as they whispered about kissing and fireworks. He wanted nothing more than to close the few inches of space that lay between them and kiss Kurt. Blaine blushed as he thought about all of the times over the past month that he had wanted to kiss Kurt. There was the time at the park three weeks ago when Kurt had said something about the beginning of July being his favorite time of the year, because it wasn't too hot yet, so everything was still green, but it wasn't cold either. He had looked into the sky and closed his eyes and it had taken all of Blaine's willpower not to lean over and kiss him. Then there was the time at the pool when Blaine had finally coaxed Kurt into the water and then promptly attacked him. Kurt had come up sputtering with anger and a hint of amusement in his eyes. They'd locked eyes and something in the way Kurt was looking at him almost made Blaine do it then. Almost. Even earlier that evening, while they'd been watching Titanic, Blaine would sneak glances at Kurt, who seemed to be completely engrossed in the movie, and wonder what it would be like to kiss him. To press his lips against Kurt's, he wondered if Kurt's lips were as soft as they looked. He was sure they were. Then they were talking about the movie and all Blaine could think about was moving to Kurt's side of the couch and pressing in close, kissing him with everything he had. Instead, he asked Kurt if he'd ever been kissed. He was surprised, and a little relieved, when Kurt blushed and said he hadn't. Now here they were, laying next to each other in the dark, and Blaine still couldn't bring himself to do it.

There were lots of reasons why Blaine didn't have the courage necessary to let Kurt know how he felt, one of the main ones, of course, was Rachel. He didn't know how she'd react to her younger brother and her best friend being in love. It was love too, for Blaine. Sure, he had spent the majority of the last four weeks fantasizing about kissing Kurt, but it wasn't all that he wanted. Kurt was beautiful and funny and so smart. He was easy to talk to, with a quick wit and genuine interest in the subject. He wanted to hold his hand while they walked around the park. He wanted to be able to cuddle up to him when they would spend the night together. Blaine wanted everything with Kurt.

It was all Blaine could do not to love him, and he had tried. He would tell himself it was nothing, but a little crush on his older sister's, probably straight, best friend. There were things about Kurt that made Blaine question his sexuality, his love for Broadway and fashion being two pretty big hints. Still, Blaine didn't want to assume either way, and he wasn't willing to mess up the friendship that they had finally developed over something as silly as a little crush. Then, that stupid sleepover had happened, and Blaine had insisted that Kurt share the bed with him. Kurt had obviously been hesitant, "you're probably just making him uncomfortable," Blaine had thought to himself. However, Kurt relented and when Blaine had woken up in the wee hours of the morning and found Kurt facing away from him, with Blaine's arms wrapped securely around his middle, Blaine knew. He knew it was love and he knew that he would never want anything more than to hold this boy in his arms forever. He had fallen back to sleep with a smile on his lips, as he tightened his hold on Kurt, willing the moment to never end. It did though, and Blaine woke up with empty arms, Kurt as far away as he could possibly get while still on the bed. Blaine watched him for a moment, blinking back the tears that were threatening to escape.

From then on, Blaine had done everything he could to keep their friendship platonic. He'd had this crush on Kurt from the moment he had heard his voice carrying through the living room singing about girls in white dresses and snowflakes. He had been awestruck by the voice, and even more so by its owner, once they'd finally met. Blaine would follow Kurt and Rachel from room to room as they played house, or "practiced for their future careers on Broadway." He cherished the moments that they would let him join in, and secretly hoped that Rachel would decide to sing solo or maybe throw a tantrum, leaving Kurt's attention solely on Blaine because those times were the sources of all of his favorite memories. He and Kurt would talk or watch Disney movies until Rachel had calmed down enough to join them. He loved watching movies with Kurt; Blaine had always been able to read every emotion that played out across his porcelain face. Kurt was beautiful when he cried, but he was stunning when he laughed. His eyes and nose would crinkle, mouth opening into a wide grin as he released the sweetest, most joyful noise Blaine had ever heard. Blaine would do anything to see Kurt laugh.

Then Rachel had announced that she was going to that camp for an entire month and it took all of Blaine's willpower not to jump for joy. He put on his best but-Rachel-I'll-miss-you face and promptly asked what Kurt was going to do while she was away. "He'll just have to hang out with you I guess," Rachel had replied with a mildly disapproving look. It had taken everything that Blaine had to make it to his room before he smiled. It was a huge, radiating, utterly ecstatic smile, and he couldn't hold it in any longer. Kurt, the boy of his dreams, was going to be spending an entire month with him. The weeks leading up to Rachel's departure dragged on and Kurt spent nearly every day at their house, always in the company of Rachel. Blaine understood that they were going to miss each other, but he still couldn't wait until Rachel was gone and Blaine could take her place, at least temporarily. The month of July, however, flew by, and on that last night, Blaine had spoken quietly in the dark, asking Kurt to promise that they would stay like this, that their friendship would remain intact.

He knew what he was doing, asking Kurt that. He was well aware that Rachel's return would mean that life would go back to the way it had been. Blaine knew when Kurt made that promise it would lead to his own eventual heartbreak. Still, Blaine needed to know that he was important to Kurt. Even if it wasn't to the same extent as Blaine's own feelings, Blaine needed to be Kurt's friend. He had fallen asleep soon after that, lulled into anxious dreams by the steady sound of Kurt's breath on the pillow next to his.

When fall came around and school started, it was apparent that their friendship was not going to be the same as it had been for that one perfect month. Rachel monopolized the majority of Kurt's time during August, hardly allowing Blaine to spend any time with either of them. With school came sports and drama club for Blaine and Kurt respectively, and Blaine knew that Kurt was trying, at least at first. By the time first quarter ended they had stopped seeing each other all together, Rachel even began spending more time at Kurt's house when they hung out after school. Finally, after a month of not speaking, Blaine was done hoping that things would go back to the way they were. He was surprised then, when he'd seen Kurt following Rachel into the den one afternoon. Kurt had barely even glanced in his direction not even offering him a small wave of hello, and Blaine wanted nothing more than to cry as his heart shattered. That was it then, it was really over. After that, when Blaine would see Kurt, he would do everything he could to act like he didn't care, like it didn't matter. All the while his heart beat fast against his ribcage, as though it were trying to escape his chest and give him away for the fraud that he was. No matter what happened, Blaine knew that some part of him would always love Kurt, even if they never spoke again.

It's true, what they say about time being the only cure for heartbreak. During those first few months, Blaine would hear a sad song on the radio and immediately think of Kurt. At first he was depressed, and then he was bitter. He tried hating Kurt, but that only lasted a few days before Kurt smiled at him in the hall between classes and Blaine's heart rate had sped up and his hands had gone clammy. Eventually he was just lonely; he missed Kurt and the easy friendship they'd shared. He had never had many close friends, and Kurt was definitely the closest he'd ever come to calling anyone best friend. Finally, after the year ended, his heartache was down to barely a whisper, a beautifully painful memory of what once was and would never be again. Blaine still loved Kurt, but he was content to find that he was no longer in love with him. Blaine had always been good at lying to himself.

It had been a long time since Blaine had allowed the memories of that summer to resurface, if only because he didn't want to live in the world of what ifs and maybes. Now though, he would be lying if he said his heart rate hadn't picked up a little speed when Kurt had approached him in the hall last week. But then the Azimio incident had happened and Blaine had been so angry, he wasn't willing to admit that part of him was especially upset that it had been Kurt who had seen what was going on and that it had been Kurt who'd run away. He had thought that Kurt cared about him a little more than that. Then Kurt had shown up to apologize and Blaine no longer knew what to think. Well, he knew what he felt, at least, even if he wasn't going to admit it to anyone.

Having Kurt in his room that afternoon, was dredging up all of the memories of Kurt that Blaine had worked so hard to forget. The way his hair always smelled so clean, with maybe a hint of lavender underneath, and the way he'd barely press his eraser to his lips while he thought. Then Blaine had said something and Kurt had laughed loud and joyous, and all of the memories flooded to the forefront of Blaine's mind. Kurt on the swing set at the park, Kurt at the pool hiding under an umbrella as he smiled at Blaine's antics, Kurt lying so close he could touch him if he just reached out, but he wouldn't dare. He shuddered, glad that Kurt was getting a drink of water, because Blaine didn't think he could handle seeing him at that moment. He was sure that he would've reached forward and kissed Kurt. He would've kissed him for the boy he used to be, the boy who had been so full of hope and consumed by his first love. Thinking back now, he almost wished that he had said something when he'd had the chance. Still, Kurt had never done anything to show that he reciprocated those feelings, and Blaine was certain that he hadn't.

Blaine frowned at the thought, before glancing at his watch. Kurt had said he knew where the kitchen was, but it had been twenty minutes since he'd left the room. Blaine stood slowly, stretching to relieve some of the ache in his back from sitting in the same position too long. Suddenly Kurt burst through the door, his face red and eyes hard.

"I'm sorry Blaine; we'll have to continue studying later. I have to go." He said, brushing quickly at his eyes as he gathered his things.

"What? What's wrong Kurt?" Blaine asked bewildered. Kurt stopped for a moment and looked at him, a small smile that didn't reach his eyes gracing his face.

"It's… nothing Blaine, it's just getting late and I promised my dad I'd be home to help with dinner." Kurt replied as he bit gently at his lip. Blaine knew Kurt was lying, he'd always been able to read Kurt like a book and it was beyond obvious that he was not being entirely truthful. He wanted to tell Kurt he could trust him. He wanted to tell Kurt that he was there for him, if he needed anything. Instead, he nodded, searching for a piece of paper and a pen. Pulling the cap off he jotted down his number quickly.

"Here." He said handing it to Kurt who was still hastily gathering his things. "It's my number, so we can reschedule." Kurt smiled again and this time Blaine could see a hint of it in his blue eyes.

"Thanks Blaine, I'll see you around." Kurt said as he took the paper from Blaine and stepped out of the door.

"Yeah," Blaine said to the sound of Kurt's retreating footsteps. "See you around."


	7. Chapter 7

_Oh my gosh, I am so sorry this has taken so long to get out! It would've been up last night, but my internet went down and this is the first chance I've gotten to post it. Here are two chapters and the next should be out in the next couple of days. The first section is written in Rachel's POV, just so that I don't confuse anyone. Also, I wanted to say thank you so much for all of the author alerts and favorites for this and my other fics! You have no idea how happy it makes me knowing that people are enjoying this. _

_Disclaimer: I don't own glee. _

Chapter Seven

Rachel Anderberry was nothing if not persistent. She was also very observant, when she wanted to be. Usually she was too busy worrying about herself and her future role as a star on Broadway than to pay attention to the social status of McKinley High. Sure, she knew about all the latest scandals, but those were hard to miss when the entire population of the school was stage whispering around and Jacob Ben Israel was handing out a paper with "Hummel's New Romance" emboldened on the front page.

Rachel had tried to ignore the whispers, but when Jacob Ben Israel put that microphone in her face and asked how she felt about the younger Anderberry's taste in men, she couldn't ignore it any longer.

Rachel hadn't talked to Kurt since the afternoon she'd found him in her kitchen almost two weeks ago. Thinking back, she knew she'd gone about the whole thing in the wrong way.

"Kurt, we need you. Without you around I have simply no one who can stand up to me vocally, and I require a challenge. How else am I supposed to grow as a performer?" Rachel Anderberry was also very good at putting her foot in her mouth.

Kurt scoffed at this, his eye's widening and mouth settling into a thin line. "Rachel, as much as I appreciate your blatantly self-centered reasoning, I will not be returning to the glee club. I can't afford for things to go back to the way they were. I just can't do it anymore Rachel." Rachel looked back at him from across the room, concern and pity clearly written across her face.

"Kurt, I see you everyday, you're miserable. You're like a ghost in the halls of McKinley. You don't talk to anyone except Brittany and Santana who everyone knows are too involved in each other to actually pay attention to you." Rachel bit her lip and glanced down, afraid to look Kurt in the eye. "Kurt, I never see you smile anymore."

This was the last straw for Kurt, and when he replied it was with a yell, "I never smile ANYMORE? Obviously you weren't paying attention before Rachel, because not only was I not smiling, but I was constantly covered in bruises, constantly trying to find a way to avoid the dumb Neanderthals that rule that school because I couldn't bear to hear the word "fag" one more time. It may not seem like it to you, Rachel, but I'm actually okay now. I have found a way to survive and I'd be an idiot to return to the glee club!" Kurt was crying now; big, heavy tears running down his face and a grimace playing out over his features.

Rachel looked taken aback, as though everything that Kurt had said was new information to her, and Kurt realized that it was. He had never outwardly said how bad it had gotten those last few months before the kiss and the events that had followed. Tears began to form in Rachel's eyes, which she quickly brushed away before she spoke.

"I… I didn't know, Kurt. I swear I had no idea it had gotten so out of control. We love you in the glee club Kurt, we all miss you. I just don't want to see you give up on your dreams because of dumb jocks who don't know how to be decent human beings." Once again, she lowered her gaze, trying as hard as she could to hide the tears that had begun to spill.

Kurt, for his part, was still angry, all the pain of the last couple of years, and all the tears that he had refused to let fall were coming at full force now. "Really? Because if you all had really loved me so much then why was it so easy for everyone to turn their cheek when they saw what was happening to me? Why did no one care enough to even ask me how I was doing every once in awhile? You know what Rachel, I think you and the glee club are just like everyone else, too self-involved to even open your eyes and see that not everything is rainbows and sunshine!" Kurt said with a snarl, his arms held high over his head. Rachel gaped at him for a moment, while he attempted to steady his breathing and quell the tears that were so openly falling.

"Kurt, I…" Rachel started, but she was cut of as Kurt moved closer, a glare in his eyes.

"No, Rachel, I don't want to hear it. I'm done with excuses and I will not be returning to the glee club." Kurt said before turning his back to her and rushing up the stairs to gather his things.

Rachel was left alone in the kitchen. She slowly circled her arms around her waist and leaned against the counter, allowing herself to cry. She was scared for Kurt, the Kurt Hummel she had known basically her entire life was strong and would die before he was willing to let anyone break him. Yet, something had. She knew there was more to the story, that something bigger than taunts and bruises had happened. It was something Kurt wasn't telling her, and if he hadn't told her, than chances were he hadn't told anyone. Suddenly, an idea sparked in Rachel's head. She knew how she was going to get Kurt to rejoin the glee club; it was just going to take a little investigation with the help of the New Directions.

Rachel was determined to see Kurt smile again.

Kurt sighed as he looked at the school through the windshield of his Navigator. McKinley High loomed above him, and he dreaded another day spent alone in its halls. However, he did have Blaine now. Blaine who was sweet and insistent, and still thought Kurt needed help in Chemistry. Blaine who had no idea of the extent of Kurt's feelings for him, and it was going to stay that way. The two had become almost inseparable, when they weren't in school at least.

Kurt still couldn't bring himself to hang out with Blaine inside of the school. Blaine was enduring daily torment and Kurt was unwilling to go back to that life. Blaine had understood, for the most part, and the part of him that had always and would always love Kurt told him that Kurt needed to be protected. Not being seen with the likes of Blaine at school was the only way that he could make sure that Kurt would be ok.

Still though, Kurt hated seeing Blaine hurt.

Kurt grabbed his messenger bag from the passenger seat and opened his door. He slid out of the car quickly before turning to lock it. Pausing to straighten his uniform, he made his way into the school.

Kurt felt the eyes watching him before he saw them, but he soon realized that the entire body of McKinley High was staring at him rather obviously. At first he wondered if he had spilled something on his uniform, until Jacob Ben Israel appeared out of nowhere and he found a microphone in his face.

"The viewers want to know, how long has this secret romance been going on?" Jacob asked, waiting for Kurt's reply. Kurt simply stared, unsure of what Jacob was referring to.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Kurt said before turning to leave. Jacob caught up with him rather quickly though.

"You and one Blaine Anderberry were caught canoodling at the Lima Bean yesterday, do you have nothing to say to that?" Jacob insisted, willing to do anything in order to get his story.

Something in Kurt's eyes flashed and he was left momentarily speechless. He and Blaine had gone to the Lima Bean yesterday after school to "study," but they mostly spent the entire time chronicling the career of Patty Lupone and wasting the afternoon with laughter and coffee.

"If you must know, Blaine is tutoring me in Chemistry and nothing more. Sorry to disappoint your followers, but there is nothing going on between me and that nerd Blaine Anderberry." As soon as the words left his mouth, Kurt felt sick to his stomach. Blaine was quickly becoming the best friend that Kurt had missed in the years since they had been twelve. Still, if he didn't want to deal with the jocks he knew he would have to cover his tracks. He also knew that the bullying would become even worse for Blaine, who hadn't officially come out yet, if they thought he had a boyfriend. He just hoped that Blaine would understand.

Kurt turned to find Blaine. Even with the damage control he had just done he knew he had to get to Blaine before Jacob or the jocks did. He turned the corner down the hall that held the sophomores lockers and smiled once he saw Blaine, apparently unaware of the gossip, standing at his locker. Kurt quickened his pace, his eyes lighting up as he got closer, when he was met with a thick wall of ice.

Kurt blinked, mouth hanging open and purple slush sliding down his face, as whoever had thrown the slushy yelled a quick, "fag!" before hurrying away. He was in shock. No one had ever dared slushy him in his uniform and he had assumed that it was enough of a status symbol to keep the bullies at bay.

Apparently, he had been wrong.

His mind couldn't process what was going on. He was still standing there, purple ice drying to a sticky mess on his face and staining his once immaculate uniform. He clutched at his messenger bag and willed himself not to cry. This couldn't be happening, not again, not after all of the precaution he had taken.

Finally, after what felt like hours, but was more like a few seconds, Blaine appeared at his side. "Kurt! Oh my gosh, are you ok?"

"I, they, I don't understand." Kurt said, still in a state of shock.

"I'm so sorry Kurt. C'mon let's get you to the bathroom. I'll help you clean up." Blaine said as he turned Kurt around and gently pushed his shoulders, willing him to move towards the bathroom. This finally caused Kurt to snap out of it.

"No! I can't be here right now. I just, I have to go, I can't face the school, not after that." Kurt said as he started to move in the direction of the door.

"Um. Ok, do you want me to come with you?" Blaine asked as he followed Kurt to the door and the first bell rang out. Blaine never skipped school, he was a standing member of the perfect attendance club, but he also couldn't imagine Kurt being alone after that.

Kurt paused for a moment, before taking Blaine's hand. "Please?" He said as his large eyes, already wet with unshed tears, became even larger. Blaine squeezed Kurt's hand in return before nodding and following Kurt to the bathroom to clean some of the mess away before they headed out to the parking lot.

Kurt Hummel was quickly becoming more important than Blaine's grade point average.


	8. Chapter 8

_So, this kind of becomes a songfic at the end of the chapter. Sorry if that's not your thing, but this is really the scene that inspired this fic, so I had to include it. Enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own glee or the lyrics that appear in this chapter._

Chapter Eight

Kurt had quickly moved from shock to anger in the time it took them to cross the parking lot. He yanked the driver's side door open and hurled his book bag in the backseat. Before he could climb into his seat, however, there was a hand tugging gently at his elbow.

Kurt turned to see Blaine, face solemn as he began to speak, "Kurt, I don't think you should be driving. You're obviously upset and I don't think it would be safe for either of us if you were operating a motor vehicle in this state." Kurt's breathing began to calm as tears stung his eyes.

"It's just so unfair, that they would treat me, or either of us, like that just because of our sexuality. Why does it even matter to them? And just because we hang out doesn't automatically mean we're dating, and why would any of that even deserve a slushy facial? I just hate this school sometimes." Kurt said. He heard Blaine gasp as he looked up to meet his eyes.

Blaine's face could've been described as comical in another circumstance. His jaw had gone slack and his eyes were wide, a faint blush beginning to color his cheeks, as Kurt realized what he had just said. Blaine was too dumbstruck to speak.

Kurt began to backtrack. "I'm not saying you are gay, just that they've obviously decided that you are, and that stupid paper came out because of stupid Jacob Ben Israel and now everyone thinks we're dating, which is apparently not good for either of us." Blaine looked as though he had no idea what Kurt was talking about, and ok, he could be kind of oblivious sometimes, but how in the world had he not heard about Jacob's latest headline.

When Blaine finally found his voice it was to say, "Kurt, I have no idea what you're talking about, but if we're going to have this conversation I think we should leave this parking lot before someone comes looking for us." Kurt nodded and handed Blaine his keys before moving to the passenger side door, his face growing steadily redder.

As they pulled out of the parking lot, Blaine wondered if Kurt knew. If Kurt knew he was gay and that he'd been hiding it from him. He had tried and fwere ailed to tell Kurt on numerous occasions. It had just never felt like the right time, and Blaine knew that when he told Kurt he was gay he would also confess his feelings for him, which he couldn't do unless he was certain Kurt felt the same way. He couldn't risk the friendship that they were finally getting back over unrequited love.

He also found himself wondering what Kurt had meant about Jacob Ben Israel. Blaine knew that Jacob was the gossip monger of the school, but he generally tried to stay away from that stuff. He didn't give much credit to the things that Jacob said and he didn't believe in hurting people through the spread of false rumors.

"Blaine, where are we going?" Kurt said, interrupting Blaine's reverie. Really, Blaine wasn't sure where he was taking them, he just knew that he wanted to go somewhere private to have this conversation with Kurt.

"I'm not actually sure, I was just trying to get away from the school…" Blaine said, stumbling a bit as he tried to decide where they should go.

"Take a left at the next corner." Kurt said. They were well on their way out of Lima now and Blaine, who hadn't spent much time outside of the town, wasn't sure where Kurt was leading them, he just knew he was willing to follow.

Blaine took the left and continued for a quarter of a mile down a back road. He looked out of the window at the trees and sparse driveways as he drove.

They continued down the road, and when it had been a few miles since the last driveway, Kurt told Blaine to stop. He pulled off the road and stopped the car in front of an open field; he turned to Kurt and looked at him curiously.

Kurt was messing with his Ipod in the passenger seat, clearly intent on finding something. Finally, Kurt looked at Blaine, a small smile on his face as he found his ipod adaptor; he connected it to his speakers and got out of the car. He left his door open, and Blaine followed him around the car to the trunk. He watched as Kurt pulled out a blanket and laid it on the ground close enough to the car to hear the speakers.

"Lay down." Kurt said as he stood up and made his way back to the car. Blaine couldn't bring himself to argue as he lay down on the blanket, leaving Kurt enough space beside him. Suddenly the air filled with the beginnings of a familiar song.

Kurt was back and laying next to him when the lyrics began. "Close your eyes," he whispered, so Blaine did.

_We'll do it all, everything, on our own_

_And we don't need anything, or anyone_

The music swirled around in Blaine's mind. He'd always liked the song, but listening to it in this capacity gave it a new meaning for him.

_If I lay here, If I just lay here_

_Will you lie with me and just forget the world_

Blaine was so thankful for Kurt in that moment. Being here, with no one around to hurt them, where they could just be themselves, was what Blaine had needed.

_I don't quite know how to say how I feel_

And Blaine smiled to himself, the lyrics ringing truer than he was sure Kurt had intended. Kurt, however, was blushing as the song continued.

_Those three words are said too much_

_They're not enough_

The words hit Kurt like a freight train. All of the things he had been feeling for Blaine became clear; the way he could make him blush with a simple gaze, or the way his stomach flipped when Blaine would look at him like he was the only person in the world. The fact that Kurt knew he could be happy if it were just him and Blaine, even against the jocks of McKinley. All of it added up, and it was something Kurt had been denying to himself for too long. He was in love with Blaine; head over heels, heart in your throat, butterflies in your stomach love. All that mattered at that moment was Blaine lying there next to him and the song blaring out of the speakers.

Kurt smiled as he sang along to the next line, capturing Blaine's hand in his.

_If I lay here, if I just lay _

_Would you lie with me and just forget the world_

Blaine felt Kurt's hand in his own. He assumed it was all just a friendly gesture of support. Kurt's way of saying I'm here for you. He couldn't help but intertwine their fingers and smile as Kurt continued to sing along.

_Forget what we're told before we get too old_

_Show me a garden that's bursting into life_

_Let's waste time chasing cars around our heads_

Blaine knew in that moment that if he didn't share his feelings with Kurt now there would never be another perfect chance. Blaine mouthed the next words along with the song, his thumb rubbing patterns into Kurt's hand.

_I need your grace to remind me to find my own_

_If I lay here, if I just lay here _

_Would you lie with me and just forget the world_

_Forget what we're told before we get too old_

_Show me a garden that's bursting into life_

As the next line began Kurt opened his eyes, knowing that now was his chance and he'd be damned if he'd let Blaine get away this time. He knew now that the way he had felt for him that summer was so much more than the crush he had convinced himself it was.

His feelings for Blaine ran so much deeper. He had loved him since that first day, when his dark curls had fallen over his hazel eyes and a large grin had painted his face. Six year old Kurt had never seen such a beautiful person. It had been true then, but nothing held a candle to sixteen year old Blaine. Kurt extricated his hand from Blaine's and sat up on his elbows, watching as Blaine listened to the song. Blaine's curls were gelled back now, his plump lips mouthing the lyrics, and his longs lashes fanned out over his broad cheeks.

_All that I am, all that I ever was_

_Is here in your perfect eyes, they're all I can see_

Kurt leaned down, pressing his mouth close to Blaine's ear as he whispered the next line of the song.

_I don't know where, confused about how as well_

_Just know that these things will never change for us at all_

Blaine shivered at Kurt's words in his ear, surprised by the intimacy, but welcoming it all the same. He was even more surprised when he felt a warm breath on his lips and a body hovering over him. He opened his eyes just as Kurt closed the distance between them and met Blaine's lips with his.

Blaine was so surprised, in fact, that he didn't react. He just lay there, eyes wide open as Kurt kissed him and the end of the song played.

_If I lay here, If I just lay here_

_Would you lie with me and just forget the world_

_A/N: Sorry for the cliffhanger! The next chapter should be up by Monday. Although, reviews might inspire me to write a little faster. Thanks, lovelies!_


	9. Chapter 9

_A/N: So, this chapter was meant to be pure fluff, but these boys are just so angsty! Also, if you've already been reading this story, I went back and changed a few details in chapter seven so Kurt isn't covered in slushy during this scene. Thank you so much for the reviews and story alerts! As always, enjoy._

Chapter Nine

After a few moments, Kurt pulled back from the kiss and quickly shuffled to the other side of the blanket, fear and rejection written clearly across his face. "I'm so sorry Blaine. I just thought… it doesn't matter. I'm sorry for forcing myself on you." Kurt said as his eyes grew red and he went to stand, unwilling to let Blaine see his embarrassment.

Before he could walk away, however, Blaine was pulling him back down to the seat next to him. "No Kurt, I'm sorry. I was surprised. Don't be sorry, don't ever be sorry for that." Blaine said as he pleaded silently for Kurt to open his eyes. He wasn't sure if Kurt knew the truth or not, but he had obviously assumed correctly. If Blaine was going to tell Kurt it was going to have to be now. "Hey, c'mon open your eyes, please." Blaine said as he tugged Kurt even closer to him.

Kurt only nodded slowly and willed the tears to stay away as he blinked his eyes open, his lashes already wet. Once he was finally looking him straight in his clear blue eyes, Blaine spoke. "Kurt, I'm gay," because he figured the beginning was going to be the best place to start.

The tears did come then, as Kurt's expression became even more pained. If Blaine was gay and he hadn't reciprocated the kiss he obviously didn't share Kurt's feelings, and that was somehow worse. Kurt once again began to stand.

Blaine, frustrated that he couldn't do this right, shook his head violently. "No Kurt, wait. Please let me finish." He took a breath, looking for the words to describe how he felt. "I'm not good at romance, obviously since the only guy I've ever liked just kissed me and all I did was sit there!" Blaine said with exasperation evident in his voice.

Kurt looked up at Blaine's words, blinking rapidly as a look of disbelief distorted his features. Blaine wanted to laugh with relief, but he assumed (correctly) that Kurt wouldn't take that very well. Instead, he reached across the blanket and pulled Kurt to him, kissing him passionately. It was Kurt's turn to be surprised and it took him a few moments before he was pressing his lips to Blaine's, returning the kiss with fervor.

When their lips met this time, Kurt realized they had been wrong, it was nothing like fireworks. It was so much more. It was everything hitting him at once; it was peace and the feeling of acceptance. It was the knowledge that Blaine felt at least some of what Kurt did. It was the elation of first love, and it was right.

Kurt wanted to laugh as Blaine pulled back and whispered against Kurt's lips "that was way better than fireworks."

Kurt nodded in response, unable to come up with words to describe the perfect kiss. He pressed his forehead against Blaine's and smiled as their eyes met, "perfect," he said, and it didn't even come close.

They sat there for what felt like ages, but was more like fifteen minutes. Taking a breath, Kurt said. "Blaine, were you serious when you said I was the only guy you've ever liked?"

Blaine laughed, "of course I am," he said, "I like you Kurt, probably for a lot longer than you realize."

Kurt's gaze met his at that moment, a smirk playing on his lips. "I highly doubt that." He replied.

"I don't know Kurt, I seem to remember harboring a crush on a six year old boy who could sing the entire soundtrack to The Sound of Music and made the best toast with raspberry jam I'd ever eaten." Blaine said with a bright smile.

Kurt giggled and swatted at Blaine's arm. "Well, I can't help it that I've always been rather fabulous, but I do think I remember falling pretty hard for a little boy with soft curls, the biggest smile I've ever seen, and a larger vocabulary than most adults." Blaine blushed at this, his smile growing bigger.

"So, what I'm getting from this is that I should've kissed you all those times I wanted to that summer." Blaine said before he could stop himself.

Kurt blushed this time, "I definitely wouldn't have been opposed." He lowered his gaze quickly, his blush spreading as he processed the information. Finally his eyes met Blaine's, "So, does this mean, you and me…" He said as he pointed between them.

"Boyfriends?" Blaine said questioningly, unable to hide the hope in his voice.

Kurt smiled wider, "Boyfriends," he confirmed as he took Blaine's hand and leaned forward to kiss him sweetly on the lips. Blaine smiled into the kiss and placed a hand softly against Kurt's cheek, deepening the kiss for a moment before pulling away. Blaine was still smiling when the kiss ended. "I guess the rumors are true now, for once Jacob Ben Israel got something right." Kurt said with a blissful laugh as he lay down on his back, careful to keep his fingers intertwined with Blaine's.

Blaine looked at him puzzled. "You know, I still don't know what rumors you're talking about." Oh, Kurt thought, a lump rising slowly in his chest, he had forgotten the entire reason he had gone looking for Blaine that morning, the entire reason he had ended up with a face full of ice.

"Blaine, I have to tell you something." Kurt said as he chewed at his bottom lip. Blaine looked at him with wide, innocent eyes, and Kurt worried that what he was about to say was going to be the final straw, the terrible thing that pushed Blaine out of his life just as they had finally opened their eyes to what they had. "Jacob Ben Israel saw us at the Lima Bean and he told the whole school we were dating." Blaine laughed at the utter ridiculousness of it, before Kurt quieted him, "he found me in the hall before school and asked me about it, and my reply wasn't exactly kind." Blaine stiffened at Kurt's words, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"And what did you say Kurt?" He asked hesitantly, unsure if he was ready to hear the response.

"I said there was absolutely nothing going on between me and that nerd." Kurt said in one long winded breath. Blaine's hand went limp in Kurt's at that, his disappointment obvious. "Blaine, I didn't mean it I swear, I just, I had to protect myself and you! I mean the jocks don't even really know that you're gay, but I don't think they'd take too kindly to us dating…" Kurt rambled before Blaine slipped his hand out of his grip.

Blaine's eyes were downcast, unable to meet Kurt's. "So, does this mean we can't be together?" Blaine asked slowly, his voice breaking a little as his shoulders slumped and he brought his knees up to his chest.

Kurt's heart broke at Blaine's words; he reached for Blaine's hand, but thought better of it as he sat up to face him. "Of course we can be together Blaine, just not at school. I can't even imagine what we'd have to endure if this came out."

Blaine was suddenly standing, his eyes blazing as he spoke, "oh, so you like me, just not when other people can see? It took a lot for me to forgive you for not saying anything after what Azimio did and the next thing I know you're denouncing even our friendship in front of the entire school. Why do I get the feeling that you're ashamed of me Kurt? Y'know, I knew things would be harder once we started dating, but I thought you'd at least be brave enough to deal with it if you had your boyfriend by your side. I didn't realize that boyfriend meant you were too scared to be seen with me in public. If that's really how you feel Kurt, I don't think we should be boyfriends after all." Blaine said before turning around feverishly and heading back to the car. Tears were already overflowing from his eyes, as his body tensed with anger.

Kurt was a mess. He was left wide eyed and open mouthed on the blanket, his heart shattered to a million pieces. Way to go Hummel, he thought, you finally snag the guy of your dreams and you already screwed that up. Before he knew it, he was crying as he gathered the blanket from the ground and followed Blaine to the car. He was at a loss for words as he got closer, "Blaine, I…"

"Save it," Blaine said, his eyes hard, "I think I need to go home now." He handed Kurt his keys as he got into the passenger seat.

Kurt nodded and wiped his tears with the sleeve of his already-ruined Cheerios uniform. He turned the ignition and drove away, a heavy silence filling the car as Blaine glared at the road ahead, his arms tight against his chest, and Kurt wondered how in the world he was going to make this up to the beautiful boy sitting next to him.

Rachel peered around the corner as the football players exited the locker room. Many of them left in packs, rowdy boys laughing as they tossed a water bottle between them. Boys patting each other on the back and talking about the Buckeye's game on Monday.

She observed as Karofsky and Azimio were the last to leave, their shoulders squared and their eyes sinister as they walked solemnly down the hall, students scrambling to get out of their way. Rachel narrowed her eyes at the way the other students were reacting to the two boys.

Rachel had endured her fair share of bullying of course; being a part of New Directions meant you were automatically at the bottom rung of the social ladder. Sure, she had been on the wrong end of a few slushy facials and had put up with some fairly ridiculous taunts that the random classmate would shout from across the hall, but she had never been physically assaulted. She was beginning to think that Kurt had, and she was quickly figuring out who was behind it. Still, she needed cold, hard facts before she could present her plan to the New Directions, especially after they had all chastised her for approaching Kurt that day in her kitchen.

Her eyes narrowed as she watched Karofsky shove a freshman into the lockers, Azimio laughing beside him. Before anyone noticed her, she was gone, rushing towards the choir room to process the information that she had gathered. She was almost ready to approach the glee club with her plan.

She just had to talk to Jacob Ben Israel first.

_A/N: I know they're being frustrating, but you'll just have to bear with me. I promise the angst is neccessary and it does get better! Reviews are lovely and so are you!_


	10. Chapter 10

_A/N: So sorry this took so long! I started an internship and it's taken awhile to get back into the groove of things. Thank you so much for the reviews and story alerts, you guys are so lovely! Anyways, here's chapter ten, hope you enjoy! _

_Disclaimer: I don't own glee!_

Chapter Ten

"Dude, what's up with you lately?" Mike asked with genuine concern. Blaine looked up from the notebook he had been viciously writing in. His usually gelled curls free and messy, and there were bags forming around his already dark eyes. His disregard for his appearance made his lack of sleep apparent.

"I screwed everything up and I don't think I can fix it. I don't even know why I said that to him. I know what he's been through and I'm… I'm just so selfish sometimes!" Blaine ranted as he threw his arms up in defeat before he lowered his gaze back to the notebook. Mike looked at him curiously.

"You're going to have to start over man, I have no idea what, or who, you're talking about." Mike replied. Blaine sighed before looking up at Mike.

"It's Kurt," Blaine said, and he was surprised to see something like recognition in Mike's face. "I… he kissed me and it was great, I mean, I've only been in love with him since I was six, but then I had to go and say I wouldn't be a part of a secret relationship and just… I'm so sick of everything!" He said, his anger and despair clear in his voice.

"Ok, so you're in love with Kurt Hummel and he likes you too, at least enough to kiss you. He doesn't want to make your relationship public, but you do. What exactly did you say to him?" Mike asked as he took the seat across from Blaine and tried to gain a grasp on the situation.

"I accused him of being ashamed of me, but I know he's not. I know he's just scared, but I was already upset because of Karofsky and now everything is ruined!" Blaine said as he laid his head on the desk, his unruly curls splayed out over the pages of the notebook.

"Honestly, I understand why you're upset about hiding the relationship, but Kurt's been through a lot, I don't think he wants to hide it because he's ashamed of you. You just have to decide if the whole mess is worth it." Mike said with an even tone.

Blaine looked up then, meeting Mike's gaze. Something seemed to click in his head at that moment. "Kurt is definitely worth it." Blaine said with conviction before standing to gather his things. "I have to go find him, thanks for the talk Mike!"

"Anytime, now go get your guy!" Mike said with a laugh, waving as Blaine left the library in a flurry of paper and curls.

Rachel stepped out of the shadows and watched as her brother left the library. She had overheard Mike and Blaine's conversation as she waited in the stacks for Jacob Ben Israel.

So it was true, she thought, Blaine and Kurt. She couldn't help but smile to herself at the idea.

"So Rachel, are you here to finally confess your love to me?" Jacob Ben Israel said as he walked up next to her, purposefully invading her space.

Rachel peered at him from over her dark glasses. She had a black scarf wrapped securely around her head. She couldn't risk the chance of being recognized, and, ever the dramatic one, had dressed for the occasion. "I do not, and will never, love you." She said with a sneer. "I need to know what you know about Dave Karofsky in regards to Kurt Hummel."

"I'll tell you for a kiss." Jacob said before closing his eyes and puckering his lips. Rachel promptly shoved a book in his face.

"Absolutely not! This is important, so I'd appreciate your cooperation."

"What's in it for me?" Jacob said, though he was visibly ruffled by their interaction.

"The knowledge that for once you actually did something nice for someone, and my gratitude." Rachel said impatiently, laying her hand on her hip.

"That's not good enough baby cakes," Rachel glared at the use of the nickname. "That kind of information comes at a price." Jacob said.

Rachel balked. "What do you want Jacob!" she practically growled.

"I already told you, a kiss. A simple kiss and you'll never have to tell anyone." Jacob said with a grin, his pale face lighting up.

Rachel sighed, "one kiss, five seconds tops, and it doesn't leave the library." She said.

"Ten seconds with tongue." Jacob countered and Rachel shuddered, turning a little bit green.

"Three seconds, no tongue, and the offer is coming to a close so you better take it or leave it." She said with regret.

Jacob was already setting the timer on his phone. "Ok five seconds," he said and Rachel checked the timer to make sure it wasn't set for longer.

Jacob licked his lips and formed a pucker before he closed his eyes and leaned forward. Rachel closed her lips tightly. "Now," she said and she heard the timer start.

Rachel jumped back, spitting and wiping her mouth as soon as the timer went off. "I said no tongue Jacob!" She yelled.

Jacob smiled at her with a dreamy look in his eyes. "I got what I wanted; now you get what you want." Jacob said. "Now, what exactly did you need to know about Dave Karofsky?"

"Something happened last year, something big between Dave and Kurt, and I know you know. I also know the jocks have ways of keeping things quiet around here. I need to know what it was that made Kurt decide that he wasn't safe in the glee club." Rachel said as she glared at Jacob pointedly.

Jacob turned white, a feat in its own right, as he recalled the memory, his expression suddenly serious. "I don't know the details exactly, just what I saw, which was an angry Karofsky fleeing the locker room and an obviously shaken Kurt leaving ten minutes later. They had been alone." Jacob said. "There was a half hearted rumor going around last year that Kurt had kissed him, but Karofsky and Azimio quickly shut up anybody who was spreading it. Whatever went down in that locker room, it was bad." Jacob said.

Rachel gasped as she brought her hand to her mouth, her mind immediately at work. Kurt would never kiss Karofsky, but that doesn't mean Karofsky didn't kiss Kurt no matter how far-fetched that might be. Plus, there had been a few clues to suggest Karofsky played for the other team, his apparent hatred for Kurt and her brother being the biggest one. This could be much worse than she had thought.

"I have to go," she said as she slid her glasses back up her nose and made her way to the door." Remember Jacob, I won't say anything if you don't!" She exclaimed as she slipped out of the library.

She was one step closer to getting Kurt to rejoin the glee club, and one step closer to seeing her best friend smile again.

Kurt sighed as he laid his heavy head in his arms. He couldn't even bring himself to care about the equations that Mr. Hamilton was scrawling across the board.

He had messed up, big time.

His mind swam with all the possible ways of making this up to Blaine. They were few and far between and most of them involved publicly humiliating himself, not to mention outing Blaine. Although, the whole point of the fight was Kurt's hesitancy to make their relationship public. He knew that whatever he did, it was going to have to be huge, and he was going to have to make an ass out of himself.

The thing was that he understood where Blaine was coming from. Kurt was sick of lying; he just wanted to be himself, even if that meant he'd have to put up with aggressive assaults brought on by his tormentors. Blaine loved and wanted Kurt, and Kurt had ruined everything.

Somebody had finally noticed him, finally loved him, and he'd thrown it back in their face because he was a coward.

Kurt Hummel was tired of being scared. He had long ago succumbed to his dull life, just trying to get from one day to the next. Happiness, he'd thought, would come later, with New York and Broadway. He knew, or he thought he did at least, that he could never be truly happy in this small minded town. Blaine made him happy though. Kurt couldn't fathom why he'd given up his chance. It would be hard, yes, but with Blaine by his side it would be worth it.

Lifting his head from the safety of his arms, Kurt realized what he had to do. He was ready to shed his protective shell for Blaine Anderson. He just wasn't looking forward to the conversation he was going to have to have with Sue Sylvester.


End file.
